Berlusconi Names His Favourite AC Milan XI

AC Milan owner Silvio Berlusconi spoke on Mediaset’s sports show Undici and told presenter Pierluigi Pardo the make-up of his favourite Rossoneri team. The 76-year-old former Italian president told of the reasoning behind his team.

“I wonder what is the ideal Milan, with a team that is built by selecting the best player from each position” before continuing to add, that he “dare not do it, because I would make omissions that would do harm to those who feel excluded.”

In the end, Mr Berlusconi opted to choose a team in its entirety, and explained that “this is the Milan that started winning internationally on that magical and fantastic night in Barcelona”; a Milan that had remained in his heart, and he believed remained in the hearts of many Milanistas.

The team he named, as it happens, was a composite AC Milan team of the 1988-89 season rather than the team that started in Barcelona itself. Roberto Donadoni started the European Cup Final, but he was squeezed out in favour of Alberigo Evani.

That match will be very much in mind for Milan at the moment as they face Barcelona in a Champions League tie; hosting the Spaniards this coming Wednesday before returning to the Camp Nou in a fortnight.

Berlusconi’s team in full: Giovani Galli in goal, Mauro Tassotti and Paolo Maldini fullbacks; Franco Baresi and Alessandro Costacurta at centre-back, Angelo Colombo, Frank Rijkaard and Carlo Ancelotti in the midfield, Evani on the left, and Ruud Gullit and Marco Van Basten up front.